Real look to bounce back from UCL woes as Vallecano arrive in La Liga
Who: Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
What: Spanish La Liga
Where: Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain
When: Sunday, February 1 at 2pm local time (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.
Real Madrid continue to battle for form in a turbulent season and must quickly shake off their UEFA Champions League woes ahead of the visit of Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Sunday.
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Los Blancos missed out on an automatic place in the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition when they were defeated at Benfica on Wednesday.
Attention now returns to keeping pace with league leaders and defending champions, Barcelona, on the domestic front.
What has Real Madrid’s reaction been to the defeat by Benfica?
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted he would stand by the team’s star players and give them as many minutes as possible, despite debate over whether the team can function effectively with them all on the pitch.
Los Blancos, whose defeat on Wednesday means they must play a further knockout round in the Champions League, have sometimes struggled for balance when too many of their attacking talents play together.
Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior have completed each of the last four games for Arbeloa, along with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while midfielder Fede Valverde started all four and was substituted once.
“I always want to have the best players on the pitch, and the more minutes they can be available to the team for me, the better,” Arbeloa told a news conference, when asked if those five players were “untouchable”.
“These are players who can shake up a match at any moment. There will be people who aren’t Madrid fans who don’t want them on the pitch, but I imagine Madrid supporters want their best players always available, always on the field.
“I think the five players mentioned are among the top 10 in the world, and so they have my full trust. And it’s not just my trust – their performance is what’s putting them on the pitch.”
How did Kylian Mbappe’s criticism of Real go down in Madrid?
French superstar Mbappe criticised the team for their inconsistency, and Arbeloa said Madrid are working on solving that issue.
“Look, we’re working to find the consistency we want in our game and at all levels, and I think right now it’s neither a time for disappointment nor a time for euphoria,” said Arbeloa.
“It’s a time for work, nothing more.”
How do Barcelona and Real Madrid shape up in La Liga?
Barcelona entertain Elche on Saturday evening with the chance to move four points clear ahead of Real’s game against Vallecano.
How have Rayo Vallecano fared in La Liga this season?
The threat of relegation hangs heavily over Rayo Vallecano, who have only won five of their 21 matches this season.
The away form does at least offer them some hope, with three of those victories coming on the road.
Only eight points separate the bottom nine clubs, of which Vallecano hold 16th position heading into Matchday 21.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Rayo Vallecano?
The sides last met in a La Liga match at Vallecano on November 9. The match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw for Real, part of the run that led to the departure of Alonso as coach.
What happened in last season’s corresponding game between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano?
Real ran out 2-1 winners in the La Liga match between the sides at Bernabeu last season.
Mbappe and Vinicius put Los Blancos two up in the game on March 9, before Pedro Diaz pulled one back before the break, but the away side were unable to impact the game further in the second half.
Head-to-head
This will be the 48th meeting between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Los Blancos have won 33 of the matches, while Vallecano have won seven.
Real Madrid team news
Antonio Rudiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ferland Mendy have all returned to training following injuries but the defensive trio remains unavailable for first-team action.
Eder Militao remains a long-term absentee with a severe hamstring injury, which is expected to keep the central defender out until late March.
Raul Asencio and Rodrygo both saw red in the midweek Champions League defeat by Benfica, but are both eligible for La Liga selection.
Real Madrid predicted starting lineup
Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Rayo Vallecano team news
Abdul Mumin and Andrei Ratiu will both miss out with knee and leg injuries, respectively. Ivan Balliu is battling to shake off a knock and may face a late fitness test.
Ilias Akhomach is pushing for his first start, following his loan move from Villarreal, having come on as a sub against Osasuna last time out.
Rayo Vallecano predicted starting lineup
Battle; Ball, Lyese, Ciss, Chavaria; Palazon, Valentine, Diaz; Akhomach, Fruits, Garcia
